


Prometeme

by Eighthofhearts



Category: Hamilton - Miranda, In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 23:59:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7382776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eighthofhearts/pseuds/Eighthofhearts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Benny is California bound and Nina couldn't be more excited. Her life is beginning to take a good turn, and with her new friends, Eliza and Alex, and her boyfriend by her side, how can things go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prometeme

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Heights day everyone! Today, July 4th, is one of three days In The Heights takes place over. It also kinda ties into Hamilton with it being a historic day as well. It felt really appropriate to post it today and I hope y'all enjoy it!

The soft trill of the first of many alarms set on her phone was enough to wake Nina up on that early morning. It was the first day in many weeks that she had woken up before noon, a habit she didn’t like getting into, but eventually just accepted as it became the custom for her summer. Today was the first day of many changes, her sleep schedule being the least important thing on the list. In just six hours, Nina’s life was going to change forever yet again; Benny was coming in and he was there to stay. But for now, it was just six AM, the sun was peeking through her slitted blinds and all she craved was a hot cup of coffee.

As she put a pot up to brew, the pungent smell wafting in the air, Nina sat against the counter and considered what was actually in store for her that day. She knew what to expect when it came to Benny because, despite their distance, she had gotten to know him better in the past year than in all the years she knew him growing up. There was an unspoken intimacy between them that could be felt through computer and phone screens and across three thousand miles distance. Despite not being able to physically touch, there was still a raw connection between them, a symbiosis of their souls. She couldn’t wait for their emotional connection to become physical once again. To feel her small frame gripped in the thick fingers of her love, their breaths hitching and hearts stopping just for a moment upon seeing each other once again.

Nina was ripped out of her thoughts by the harsh whine of her coffee maker as it finished filling the pot. She poured herself a full mug and began to sip at it carefully, not caring how the bitter, hot liquid tasted. She just needed caffeine in her body. She would be lying if she said this coffee reminded her of home, the caffeinated water was in an entirely different league than Usnavi’s legendary brew. But it was caffeinated, so it would have to do. She had only managed a solid four hours of sleep, despite putting herself to bed at ten PM the night before. It wasn’t like her to let her nerves get the best of her in a situation like this, but with the added stress of trying to make everything perfect for Benny’s arrival, it was reasonable to assume it wasn’t just her nerves at work.

She attempted to put herself back on the train of thought that the coffee pot interrupted, but she simply couldn’t focus. Thoughts of school and work and her home life all flooded her mind. Her breaths hastened at the overwhelming amount of thoughts. It was a lot to process, even if she was fully awake. A flicker of an image broke through the walls of words bombarding her brain. It was an image of her home. She wasn’t thinking about the place she currently lived in, that wasn’t really home. She thought about New York, about Washington Heights, her barrio. The faces of her friendly neighbors blew through her mind like a gentle wind, easing her panicked breaths a little. The image of her home was as it was when she was younger, when life was easier. Daniela, Carla and Vanessa all chatted at the salon, all the hardships of the world seeming to be of no bother to them. Usnavi was pestering his little cousin to stop stealing sodas from his fridge in the bodega next door. Her mind then shifted to her parents, sat in the dispatch window of their old cab company. Her mind floated to the inside of the building, somehow breezing past her parents, who she still noticed looked at peace. It was a look which hadn’t graced their features in a long time and left a tinge of sadness in the overall happy thoughts. Her thoughts finally settled on one last image; Benny, in his typical white shirt and black tie, looking as beautiful as ever.

Nina let out a small huff, gripping the barely warm mug between tense fingers. She wanted everything to be perfect for Benny’s arrival, but she knew the reality was going to be less than. She pondered the thought momentarily, but then shrugged internally. She was doing the best she could. If anyone would understand that, it would be Benny.

///

Benny’s flight would be in at just after noon, Nina told herself this over and over again. Arriving two hours before a flight was generally a rule made for passengers, but as Nina arrived through the front doors of San Francisco International at just past ten in the morning, she knew she had made the right decision. She had decided being proactive and showing up early was better than moping around the house and possibly driving herself nuts trying to nit pick at every inch of the apartment, trying to perfect it. She very well knew it would be a long two hour wait, but in comparison to the time she had waited to see him before today, the two hours seemed microscopic.  

After scanning the horizon of people spread far and wide across the airport, Nina stepped off to the side, out of the way of the crowds and took a seat in a waiting area. She had brought a backpack with her, which was now nestled on the floor between her legs, that was filled with various odds and ends to keep her occupied for the two hour wait. She rummaged through the small knapsack until she retrieved what she was looking for, a book a friend had suggested to her some months ago, but never had the time, nor energy, to actually pick up. Now with a moment of peace hanging in the air, Nina flipped open the book to the first page and began to read. After a few minutes, Nina sighed, content that she could actually find joy in reading after her once favorite pastime was ruined by higher education. Having to cram a week’s worth of reading into one sleep deprived night often took the joy out of the task.

As she continued to read, a soft chill began to set in the air around her, causing her to shiver in her outside weather appropriate clothing. Nina clicked on her phone and read that the temperature outside was nearly 95, so the airport must have responded by turning up the AC. This was one thing she hadn’t planned for.

Only twenty minutes had passed since Nina arrived at the airport, and she was already chilled to the bone from the cranked up AC. She tried not to shiver in some weird, vain attempt to conserve body heat, but the reaction was automatic, and before she knew it, her entire frame was shaking. She looked outside through the tall window at the end of the row of seats. It looked sweltering out. So, Nina had a choice; either stay inside and freeze or step out and sweat to death, which would leave her smelling less than pleasant for Benny’s arrival. Either way, it was a choice of extremes. Nina decided on the former and put on a brave face. Hopefully the next hour and a half would speed by.

As Nina continued to read, a small trickle of new people filed into the waiting area, soon taking up almost all the seats. Nina didn't pay anyone much mind, they were all quiet for the most part, so there was nothing that was in need of her attention. It wasn't until someone took the seat next to her that Nina finally looked up. She chanced a glance at the woman sat beside her, who smiled kindly when she noticed the look. Nina returned the look with a shy smile of her own before turning back to her book. 

A few minutes had passed before the woman caught Nina's attention once more. Her leg had begun to bounce nervously, a jittery energy was probably stored within. Nina could definitely sympathize. She looked up at the woman once more, this time actually taking her in, and not just glancing her way. The woman was about Nina's age, petite and pretty, she noticed. Her dark hair draped over her shoulder in a loose, but still kempt braid. Her high, round cheeks added a layer of softness to her already mousy look. The only thing breaking her warm appeal was the slight look of anxiety that marginally hardened her features. 

The woman let out a nervous huff when she saw Nina looking her way, "Sorry, am I bothering you? I-I'm just a touch nervous--excited, but nervous all the same."

Nina closed her book onto her hand, saving the page until she could find a makeshift bookmark. "Not at all, and don't apologize, I understand. I'm pretty nervous, too."

A small gust of air made it's way past the waiting area, brushing over Nina's already frigid body and causing her to shiver in response. 

The woman beside her turned, her mouth hanging open just enough to form a worried o shape with her lips. "You must freezing! Here, take my sweater, I really don't need it." She removed the soft, powder blue sweater and held out it out for Nina to take. 

Nina eyed it apprehensively before taking it and draping it over her shoulders, "Thank you... that's very kind of you."

"It's no problem," the woman flashed a bright, white smile, "It wouldn't be good if you froze to death before whoever you're waiting for got here."

"Yeah, it really wouldn't," Nina replied in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm Elizabeth, by the way," the woman held out her hand, "You can call me Eliza. I mean, if you want to keep talking, that is. I wouldn't want to be a bother," she paused, and looked to Nina's lap, "or distract you from your book."

Nina shook her head, closing the book without saving her page and placing it back into her backpack. A conversation was good as any other distraction. 

"It's fine, and I'm Nina," she shook the hand Eliza offered, "it's nice to meet you."

"So, if you don't mind me asking," Eliza began sheepishly, "who, or what, are you waiting for?"

"My boyfriend," Nina looked down for a moment, smiling as the word 'boyfriend' left her lips, "Benny. He's coming in from New York, haven't seen him in a few months, so ya know, happy reunion and all."

"What a coincidence!" Eliza perked up, "I'm here for just the same reason. Well, I'm not waiting for your boyfriend, of course. My guy, Alex, is coming out here, too. He's transferring schools to be closer to me. He claims he's actually transferring because he thinks Stanford has a better law program then Columbia, but I know him. He missed me, but he won't admit it."

At this, Nina chuckled. The two were beginning to settle into the flow of the conversation, losing the nervous edge both of them originally had.

"Another coincidence then," Nina said, pulling the sweater in a bit tighter as another chill swept by, "I guess I'll be seeing your boyfriend around, I'm at Stanford too."

"No way! Alex and I are gonna be sophomores there. Like I said, he's doing law, I'm looking to become a social worker. What are you studying?"

"I'm... I'm really not sure yet," a nervousness edged into Nina's voice, "just trying to get by with the workload for right now,"

"Oh," Eliza hummed sympathetically, her hand now resting on Nina's knee, "I get what you mean, hun. I'm sure you'll find your way soon enough."

"I sure hope so," Nina's voice went low again, a sad smile on her face.

"Hey," Eliza chirped in a voice that matched Nina's tone, "Things are gonna be okay. Look, you didn't get to Stanford by pure luck. You must have worked hard to get this far. Getting through the rough times is just gonna be another hurdle. I may not know you very well, but I can tell you're smart, Nina, and you're gonna make your Benny proud."

The sadness escaped her smile, and Nina genuinely began to look happy again, "He's already proud of me. He's always been proud, since day one."

"See? You should be proud of yourself too," Eliza moved her hand from Nina's knee up to her shoulder, jostling her playfully, "But why don't we talk about something else? It's still summer, we don't need to talk about school just yet."

"Why don't you tell me a little bit about you and Alex? What's he like?"

Eliza's gaze shifted past Nina, she stared off blankly and seemed to be lost in a thought. Nina could tell the thought was happy by the way that Eliza’s smile warmed her entire face. "Alex is a great guy," she began, "He's... been through a lot, so it's a wonder he's still so kind through it all. He's originally from the islands, Nevis, and we met soon after he came to America, when were both 17."

"Wait," Nina interrupted, "so was he there when that big hurricane swept through the islands?" Nina remembered hearing about it on the news a few years back. It was the talk of the barrio for at least a week straight, many of the members of Washington Heights still had family in the islands. There were a lot of tears over that week, it was something Nina wouldn't forget for a long time.

Eliza nodded solemnly, "It's a miracle he made it out alive. But, with the help of a friend here in the states, and the Red Cross, Alex was able to get off the island to come get an education here."

"What about his family? Are they still on the island, or are they back in New York?" Nina sat forward, she was genuinely intrigued to find out the answer.

Eliza's face went stiff, her lips pulled into a taut expression which wasn't quite a frown, but still had sadness lingering around it. "My family is the only family he's got," Eliza looked up as she huffed out the answer quickly, "but it's okay. He came to America cause he had lost everything, but now he has a girlfriend, two loving sisters and some really great friends. I won't pretend like things haven't been tough, but we've got each other now, so we're happy. As much as I've joked to him about me being annoyed with him following me across the country, I do genuinely miss him. It's only been a few months, but it's the longest I've gone without seeing him."

Nina could sense that this was a raw topic for Eliza, the way her cheery expression fell flat told it all. Nina opened her arms, signaling to Eliza to come closer. Eliza looked up with tears beginning to pin prick at the corners of her eyes. She sniffled and smiled at Nina, falling into the embrace and letting the other girl wrap her arms around her. After a few moments silence, Eliza sat back up, clearing the tears from her eyes with her fingers and straightening her hair.

"Sorry about that," she choked through an awkward laugh, "Didn't mean to get all sob story on ya."

"It's fine," Nina smiled, handing Eliza a tissue she pulled from her bag. "Like you said, things are gonna be okay. Our guys are gonna be here in about an hour and things will be good then."

Eliza smiled and nodded, dabbing her eyes with the tissue, "Yeah... Now that I've told you about me and Alex, why don't you tell me a bit about you and your man?"

"Sure," Nina smiled, crossing her legs and shifting closer to Eliza, "Benny and I have known each other forever. We're both from Washington Heights and he worked for my family's cab company for many years. When my dad sold the business last year, and thus put Benny out of a job, things got tense between us. But, like any great romance, we got past all the fights and managed to make it work. We've been long distance ever since... but now he's moving here! A good friend of both of ours, Usnavi, came into quite a bit of money last year and is helping us both out with all of this. He gave me a bit to help pay for my tuition and he gave a bit to Benny to come out here and start his own business. The next few months are gonna be difficult, of that I have no doubt, but at least I'll have Benny here with me through it all."

"Aww, that is too sweet," Eliza beamed, a sweet, rosy tint returning to her cheeks, "Can I see a photo of you two?"

"Sure," Nina replied, reaching into her pocket to grab her phone. She clicked the screen on and showed Eliza her lock screen, her favorite photo of her Benny from last year's fourth of July celebration. "This was from last year. It's actually from the day we got together. It was a... bittersweet day, but Benny helped me forget some of the pain, so I'm forever thankful for him. I really do love him."

The girls went silent for a moment, letting their feelings sit in the air. It was a peaceful silence, not forced or awkward. A nice, mutual calm that both girls enjoyed. They picked up their talking soon after, chatting about work, their love lives and adjusting to life in California, nothing too heavy as to break the peace that had been set. Before long, Nina looked up at one of the digital clocks and saw it was only minutes until noon, when both Benny and Alex were set to arrive. She turned to Eliza and began to bounce in her seat excitedly. Eliza chuckled at the sight. She helped Nina calm down a touch, telling her she'd get herself worked up otherwise.

The girls continued to idly chat, their conversation fading in and out as the minutes ticked by, both of them getting distracted by the clock. Soon enough, crowds of people began to trickle out into their part of the airport, people from the waiting area jumping up to greet their friends and family. Both girls scanned the crowds for their boyfriends, but neither could find them. Nina grabbed Eliza's hand and held it tight. She smiled at the other girl, hoping it would reassure her that things were gonna be okay in a few.

And things were okay for Eliza when, after only five minutes more wait, she finally spotted Alex. At least, Nina assumed it was Alex by the way she giggled excitedly when she saw the man. The pair locked eyes and Eliza jumped from her seat and straight into his arms. Alex dropped his bags to catch Eliza in the embrace, their lips meeting for the their first kiss in months. The two spoke up after releasing their embrace, but Nina could not hear what was said from where she was sitting. When they pulled apart, Eliza grabbed one of Alex's bags, holding his hand in her free hand, and led him over to Nina.

"Nina," Eliza grinned brighter than ever, "this is my boyfriend, Alex." He was smaller than Nina had expected, only just taller than Eliza. His long, dark hair was pulled back into a messy bun and his clothes, compared to Eliza's fresh pastels, looked older and worn. 

Nina stood and waved a small hello at the man, "It's nice to meet you, Alex. Eliza told me a lot about you."

Alex smirked and planted a small kiss on Eliza's cheek, "All good things, I hope."

"Of course, I made you look like a saint," Eliza snickered warmly.

"Haha, very funny," Alex rolled his eyes playfully.

"Ya know," Nina piped up after staring at Alex for a moment longer, "remember that friend I told you about before who's helping me and Benny out, Eliza?"

"Um, Usnavi, right?"

"Yeah, Alex is almost spitting image of him when he was a bit younger, but with long hair, and no goatee," Nina paused, she pulled out her phone and brought up a picture of Usnavi, "Look."

"Oh wow," Eliza remarked. "Hey, looks like you got a twin back in New York."

The trio laughed. Alex opened his mouth to say something more, but was cut off by the sound of a loud thud nearby. The three turned their heads and Nina nearly started crying when she realized the sound had come from Benny, who had dropped his large bag upon spotting her.  

"Benny!" Nina shouted as she ran to him. 

Benny opened his arms for an embrace and when Nina met his chest with the full force of her sprint towards him, he lifted her up and spun her around. Nina squealed with delight while Benny simply hummed happily. When Benny finally put her down, Nina looked up and the pair locked eyes. "I've missed you so much," Nina simpered as Benny pet her hair. 

"I've missed you, too," Benny grinned widely before leaning in to take Nina's breath away with his kiss.

When the pair released from their embrace, Nina noticed a look of apprehension in Benny's eyes. "Babe, what's wrong?"

"I think we're being watched," Benny muttered, nodding over towards the waiting area.

Nina laughed and let go of Benny, "Don't worry, they're friends." Nina took Benny's hand and led him over to meet the waiting couple. "Eliza, Alex, this is my boyfriend, Benny." Benny raised a finger and pointed at Alex, his mouth opened to talk, but Nina cut him off. "Yes, I already noticed he looks like Usnavi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Benny," Eliza's voice was kind and Benny warmed to it immediately. "Hey, Alex and I were about to go get lunch, if you two want to come and join us."

"Can we get a rain check on that? Benny and I got some stuff to do back at my," Nina paused, reevaluating her word choice, "our apartment."

"Of course!" Eliza replied, taking out her phone, "Can I get your number? We can keep in touch."

"Totally," Nina took Eliza's phone and thumbed in her digits before handing it back, "thanks for everything today, Eliza. I really needed that distraction."

"My pleasure," Eliza squeaked before being pulled off by a bouncing Alex. "I'll text you sometime this week," she called before disappearing from Nina's sight.

"What was that about?" Benny scoffed.

"Don't worry about that," Nina turned back into Benny's body, her chin resting on his chest as she looked up at him with big eyes, "I'm glad you're here."

Benny mellowed at the sight of Nina's calm demeanor, "I'm glad I'm here, too."

"Come on, lets go get the rest of your luggage," Nina said, dragging Benny along by the wrist. "Then we can go back to  _ our   _ apartment and rest. Think you'd like that?"

"I'd like that very much."

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on Tumblr @QueerEight


End file.
